Spanakopita
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
40 mins
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Cook Time
25 mins
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Servings
4 - 5 as a main
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Calories
672 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Greek
Spanakopita
Description
This Spanakopita recipe uses approximately 300g of fresh spinach trimmed from stems, thoroughly washed, dried, and chopped. The filling blends spinach with crumbled Greek feta, Greek yogurt, green onions, fresh herbs like mint and dill, lemon zest and juice, garlic, and spices including nutmeg, black pepper, salt, and cayenne for mild warmth.
The assembly involves layering multiple sheets of filo pastry brushed with melted butter as a base, spreading the spinach mixture evenly, then topping with additional layers of filo with interspersed butter and kefalotyri cheese, which helps bind the top layers. Baking at a high temperature yields a crisp, golden crust around the creamy filling.
Spanakopita can be served warm or at room temperature as a snack, appetizer, or part of a meal. It keeps well refrigerated for days and reheats best in the oven to retain crispness, though crispness diminishes slightly after refrigeration.
Remove excess water from the spinach thoroughly to avoid sogginess. Use fresh refrigerated filo for easier handling, and keep unused sheets covered to prevent drying out. Substitutions for kefalotyri include parmesan or pecorino cheeses. Avoid freezing the assembled raw pie to maintain pastry texture.
Ingredients
Spinach:
- 300g/10oz spinach trimmed from thick stems, thoroughly washed, dried, then chopped into 2.5cm/1" pieces (Note 1, English, leaves
- 1/2 tsp salt
Filling:
- 175g/6oz feta cheese crumbled, Greek
- 1/2 cup Greek yoghurt
- 2 green onions finely sliced, or scallions
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp mint , finely chopped
- 1 tbsp dill , finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 garlic finely chopped, cloves
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg , freshly grated
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Filo pastry:
- 16 heets filo pastry (Note 2)
- 120g/ 8 tbsp butter , melted
- 60g / 2/3 cup kefalotyri cheese finely grated (sub parmesan, Note 3, Greek
- 1/2 tsp white sesame seeds (or more black)
- 1/2 tsp black sesame seeds (or more white)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 220°C/430°F (200°C fan). Line a tray with baking paper / parchment paper.
Filling:
- Sweat spinach: Place spinach in a large colander or bowl. Sprinkle with salt, toss through. Leave for 10 minutes to sweat.
- Wring out water: Place a handful of spinach in a tea towel, then wring out tightly to remove excess water.
- Filling: Place spinach in a bowl with remaining Filling ingredients. Mix well to combine.
Assembly:
- Trim filo: Cut 16 sheets of filo pastry into 32 x 25cm / 13 x 10" (pictured) or 26cm / 10.5" square.
- 8 base layers: Layer 8 sheets of filo pastry on the tray, brushing each layer with melted butter.
- Filling: Spread filling on filo pastry. Smooth surface and leave a 2.5cm / 1" border.
- 8 Filo topping layers (Note 4): Cover spinach with a sheet of filo pastry. Brush with butter, sprinkle with Kefalotyri. Repeat for Sheets #2 to #5. Then cover with filo sheets #6 to #8, brushing with butter in between, but do NOT sprinkle with cheese (neater finish).
- Seal: Press edges down to seal. Crimp and trim if desired (see process steps in post or video) or just leave the edges flat on the tray.
- Sesame seeds: Brush the top with butter, sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake: Bake 25 minutes, or until golden brown on the surface.
- Serve! Serve immediately! It is at its absolute prime fresh out of the oven, though still good as long as its hot (~15 min or so). The base does lose crispiness as it cools.
Notes
- Use fresh English spinach, well washed and thoroughly dried before chopping to avoid excess moisture.
- Refrigerated filo pastry is preferable for handling; keep sheets covered to prevent drying.
- If using frozen filo, thaw overnight in the refrigerator without rushing the process.
- Kefalotyri cheese can be substituted by parmesan or pecorino grated cheese.
- Remove excess liquid from the spinach very well to prevent soggy base and filling.
- Spanakopita can be assembled earlier in the day and baked later but avoid freezing unbaked pie to maintain texture.
- Best reheated in the oven to regain some crispness; avoid microwaving as it softens pastry.
- Use puff pastry as an alternative, allowing longer bake time but texture will differ.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4- 5 as a main
Amount Per Serving
Calories 672 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 672cal | 34% |
| Carbohydrates | 48g | 16% |
| Protein | 24g | 48% |
| Fat | 43g | 66% |
| Saturated Fat | 26g | 130% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 153mg | 51% |
| Sodium | 1826mg | 76% |
| Potassium | 585mg | 12% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 8343IU | 167% |
| Vitamin C | 25mg | 28% |
| Calcium | 544mg | 54% |
| Iron | 5mg | 28% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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